Help:GeoWikiTips
So you're interested in being part of a Wiki. The Geocaching Wiki is happy to have you join our group. The more people in the group, the more experience and ideas that are brought to the table. We've put together some general tips for working on a wiki. Create an Account If you think you would like to help edit some pages, consider first. This helps identify who is making the contributions, makes it easier for you (and others) to see where you've made contributions, and provides an easier way to communicate with you. Neutral Editing Try to keep your editing neutral. Remember that this is a site for providing information, not opinions. You are welcome to post an opinion on a page's , but please leave them off of the main page. This helps to maintain a fair and unbiased presentation to our readers. Avoid weasel words like "Some people say...", "It is believed...". Provide Sources If you are stating information that came from another site, remember to post your sources. Sources are easy to add. At the end of the information you got from another site, just enter Site Name At the end of the article, if it isn't already there, add a References heading and then type on the next line. It doesn't matter if you are using the edit modes as both will accept you entering these codes. Links Try not to overuse the ability to link to other pages. Not every instance of the word Geocaching needs to be linked to the Geocaching article. Usually, the first occurance of a topic is when it is linked. After that, leave the remaining occurances alone. Lists are probably the only time where you might overlook this idea. If you link one item on a list, consider linking every item for continuity, even if they are linked elsewhere in the article. Categories When adding a new page, consider whether the article fits into an established Category. For example, there is a category for Cache Types and each different type of cache has been marked as part of that category. If you go to that category's page, you'll find a list of all of those articles. Categories are useful when a series of articles all fit into a general theme. Not every article needs a category tag. To add a category, find the Add a Category button at the bottom of the editing box. If it isn't there, just type in Category:CategoryName at the very end of the page. Before adding a new category, check the to see what categories have already been created. Your idea might already be established. It is acceptable to mark more than one category if appropriate. Talk Pages Use the talk pages. They are there for discussing any aspect of the article, whether it is an opinion, question, or discussing how to edit a part of it. Check out the help page for using Talk Pages for some tips. Geocache Links This is an information site. Please try to avoid adding a bunch of links to specific geocaches. If you feel that a page should have a link to a geocache, please bring it up on that page's Talk Page first. Provide both the GC Code for the geocache you are thinking of and a reason why you feel the link should be added. Let someone else comment on the idea first. If some other users or a member of admin feels that it would be useful, then a link may be added. Trackable Links Same as for Geocache Links. This is an information site and we don't want to become a repository for Trackable information. One, Groundspeak has already done a wonderful job of that. Two, there are way to many different types of geocoins out there. If a particular Travel Bug or Geocoin might have some historical importance, post a note on either the Trackables, Travel Bug, or Geocoin talk pages first, along with the Reference Number, not the tracking number, and why you feel it should be added. If another user or admin thinks it's a good idea, then it can be added. Vandalism Vandalism is the editing of any information on the Geocaching Wiki with the intent to harm the site. Plagerism, foul language, deleting entire pages, and even just adding random nonsense are all examples of this. Please do not in engage in it. If you see this occurring, notify an admin so that we can identify who did it. Vandalism will result in being banned from the site. Admin Remember that the Admin is always there to help if you need it. Just leave a message on their respective talk pages. You can find a list of admin on the page. Remember to have fun. Category:Help